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Sounds from any severe weather event, be it a hurricane, tropical storm, tornado, mirco-burst or torrential downpour, have a tendency to create a certain amount of anxiety in children, pets and even some grown adults. Although we are visual creatures by nature, it is the sound that accompanies our visual input that solidifies events in our minds. The relationship of lightning and thunder are a great example. If there was no thunder, lightning would just be a pretty flash of light in the sky.
No one knows this better than Hollywood. As a test, find the scariest movie that you have ever seen and watch it with the sound turned off. You will find that even the most horrifying scenes have become quite subtle. As even more proof, take a look at your pets as they sleep right through it. Conversely, as you increase the sound during that same movie, the effects of the louder sounds intensify the angst created within the audience. Louder sounds also stir your pets and even if they might not show interest, you will see their ears moving as sound levels increase. As soon as you make a move, they will snap to their feet in anticipation. They can sense the additional tension in the room.Sound: The point here is that sound stimuli have effects on everyone during a weather event and the more you can do to reduce each stimulus the calmer everyone will be able to remain. Wind gusts buffeting against deployed shutters, high winds whistling between lapped panels, the clang of hailstones and pelting raindrops all create noises that can amplify the perception of a severe weather event. If you’ve never been through a tropical storm or hurricane, describing the noises to you is impossible. The effect that it has on children and pets is heart-wrenching and there is a certain helplessness that adults feel when their efforts to ease the anxiety and fear are futile.The encounter: I came to Florida in 1976 and I can remember my 1st tropical storm. The winds and torrential rains scared my cat so bad that she hid for 3 days. Our special needs boy of 6 was just plain scared. There were just 3 of us in the house and we had to holler to each other just to converse. Neither my wife nor I were from Florida so we had no idea what to expect and we learned a lot about storm noise from our first tropical storm encounter.Increased noises: Take for example hailstones or even large raindrops…..when they hit a metal panel the sound is increased. When they hit glass, the sound is somewhat less.
There are also cracks and joints in, or around, most types of shutters. Corrugated metal and plastic panels have overlapping joints. Unless these laps are sealed tight in some manner when the wind blows through these overlaps they can whistle. It’s like holding 2 pieces of paper together and blowing at the edges. When you blow just right they can make a pretty annoying sound.
Metal roll-downs and accordions have small cracks that are formed at the joints to form hinges. The small slits that result can whistle during high winds or emit an eerie sound effect, as well. Screen type hurricane systems also cause whistling. Bahama shutters have fixed louvers with gaps and colonial shutters have fixed gaps between themselves and the wall that aren’t (or can’t be) filled or covered and they can also create a howling sound.
Fabrics and straps make a flapping sound. Have you ever heard a tractor trailer on the interstate that has straps making that “buzzing” sound as it goes by? The same thing can occur when high winds blow between the fabric and the overlap of the wall.The remedy: Even the most meticulous installation of your typical storm shutters won’t eliminate the cracks and open passages that create storm noises. It’s simply something that you will have to be prepared to endure during high winds. But there’s a better solution………
Installing Evolution Hurricane Shutters over your window does 2 things to improve the sounds during a tropical storm experience.
First, it lowers the amount of sound that comes through your windows. The air that is trapped between the shutter and your window becomes insulation that will deaden any outdoor noises including those of a storm. Second, because the crystal clear panels are made from space age polycarbonate they don’t create additional noise or amplify storm noises. Polycarbonate is less dense than glass or metal and is, therefore, a better insulator and doesn’t transmit sound as well. So no matter what hits them on the outside, the noise transmitted to the inside is noticeably decreased, not amplified.
Although they aren’t airtight their patented design doesn’t have and any slits, cracks, laps or gaps for wind blow through and create noise. A properly installed Evolution shutter has a weather-strip cushion on the back and sometimes additional caulking to prevent winds from getting behind it enough to create noises. The results are calmer people and pets and because they are clear as glass, there’s no guesswork involved about what is happening outside and there’s no groping around in the dark during the day when the power goes out.
Simply stated, Evolution Hurricane Shutters are the most effective form of hurricane protection you can put on your home, business or church. They help to lessen the anxiety that is created inside your building due to storm associated sounds during a tropical wind event. It’s just one more reason why we say that Evolution Hurricane Shutters are “The rEvolution in Hurricane Protection.”